DEA works with practitioners to bring awareness to prescription drug diversion
CLEVELAND – On Monday, March 18, and Tuesday, March 19, 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federation of State Medical Boards hosted two regional one-day Practitioner Diversion Awareness Conferences.
Drug overdoses are still a public health crisis in the United States and the misuse of prescription opioids continue to contribute to a large percentage of overdose deaths. The State of Ohio has experienced record devastation from this epidemic; however, recent efforts made by the state to combat opioid abuse are making a lasting impact.
The PDAC is part of DEA’s strategy to bring drug awareness to the practitioner community. Today, DEA provided PDAC participants with important information and key resources to arm practitioners with tools to assist in the prevention of prescription drug diversion.
“We all share a strong commitment and passion to reducing the problem of pharmaceutical diversion throughout Ohio and the United States,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon.
Opening remarks for this free training were given by the DEA’s Detroit Division diversion program manager, Kathy Federico. Instruction was provided by experts from the DEA, State of Ohio Medical Board, Ohio Physician Health Program and others. Various topics were addressed including DEA’s Diversion Control mission, the Ohio Automated Prescription Reporting System, current drug trends, telemedicine and proper drug disposal. Ohio practitioners in attendance demonstrated a commitment from the medical community to improve the health and safety of their communities by reducing drug addiction and diversion.
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